Incredible but true: a Japanese comic starring a Fiorentina player. And a (real) youth team was also born
For the “not everyone knows that” series, Violanews tells you a curiosity with very strong purple hues that comes from Japan. Honestly, we didn’t know it either, although this story has its roots in the mid-90s. Our Japanese reader Tetsu, a great Viola fan, told us about it, who pushed us to deepen. So here’s what we’re talking about: he was in the homeland of manga a comic freely inspired (or rather set) to Fiorentina entitled “Viva! Calcio”, with the protagonist who plays alongside Batistuta and Rui Costa wearing the purple jersey of the time (complete with sponsor 7Up and then Sammontana) and playing the games inside the Artemio Franchi stadium. Don’t believe it? Look at the photos. Singular is the fact that the first issue of the series featured a Milan player on the cover, while from the second “episode” onwards (for a total of 20) the protagonist is in Fiorentina. Even today the comic “Viva! Calcio” has marketed in Japan on the most famous online sales sites and among collectors, you will find both the complete box set and the individual issues.
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But it doesn’t stop there. Because from the fantasy, a real team came to life. An amateur formation of kids from the city of Fukuchi took their name from the manga (it’s called “Viva! Calcio”) and chose the color purple. Not only that: he uses shirts that clearly recall the Fiorentina uniforms of the late 90s. The logo is also clearly inspired in the form to that of Fiorentina, even if instead of the lily there is a flower. The team currently exists and participates in local championships, wearing the purple jersey on the pitches of the Japanese suburbs. “Determination to victory” is the chosen slogan.
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March 16, 2022 (change March 16, 2022 | 11:10)
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